Children Know Best
by a girl who likes hockey
Summary: Angeles Dollslayer discovers a boy was in the combat zone, a violation of law. When she insists on taking him into her custody, she is reminded that there are exceptions to every rule.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Star Wars characters; however, Angeles Dollslayer character is mine.**

"The First Order has been defeated, once and for all," a military officer told Angeles Dollslayer. She was relieved. The war had ended where it began, on Endor.

"Thank the Maker!" Angeles exclaimed in delight.

"Senator, we suffered some causalities, including two people that without them, we would still be fighting."

"Who?"

"Luke Skywalker and Sabine Wren."

Angeles gasped. Luke Skywalker was the last Jedi. She had met him a few times, and knew he was good friends with the late Senator Leia Organa, who was a mother figure to Angeles.

As sad as his passing was, she was heartbroken about Sabine. Sabine Wren was a tough Mandalorian woman appointed to represent her people after her planet was blown up by Starkiller Base. Sabine was the one to encourage Angeles to take the position of Senate Leader. Now, just like the many others she cared about, Sabine was dead.

"When will the dead be buried?" Angeles asked. She needed to pay her last respects, to Sabine and to the men and women who gave their lives to end the war.

After finishing the conversation with the military officer, Angeles contacted Poe.

"Poe, I want to go to Endor," she said, after she told him about the conversation with the military officer.

"Finn and I will go with you," Poe insisted. He did not want Angeles to go by herself. She just recently buried both her father and her first love. Poe was concerned she would not be able to handle saying goodbye to another person she cared about.

The three of them arrived at Endor, in time for the public service. Angeles was asked if she wanted to speak at the service, but she declined. So it was Padme Desertwar who spoke about the bravery of those who lost their lives in the final battle.

"Finn, Poe, I want to..." Angeles began to say. Finn raised his hand to silence her.

"We want to pay our respects to all the fallen, as well," Finn replied with a smile. He and Poe were becoming close friends.

The burial of Sabine Wren and her good friend, Ezra Bridger, occurred. Angeles, Poe and Finn stayed in the back. About a couple of minutes into the service, she saw Ben Kenobi, formerly known as Kylo Ren. He was carrying a crying Twilek boy in his arms.

"Who is that little boy?" Angeles thought to herself. She make a mental note to ask Ben and Padme once lunchtime came.

After the funeral, the three of them approached Padme.

"Angeles!" Padme cried out in surprise.

"Hello, Padme,' Angeles replied. "It's nice to finally meet you in person. Although I wish it was under different circumstances."

The two women shook hands. Padme embraced both Finn and Poe.

"I am glad both of you survived," Padme admitted, as the four of them headed to lunch.

"We can say the same thing about you," Finn replied. "How did you escape from General Hux?"

"I don't want to talk about it now. I'm sure the Galactic Senate will request my testimony at a later time."

"We will, but not now," Angeles stated. "Today is a day of remembering all those who sacrificed their lives to bring peace to the galaxy."

They found Ben at a table, and the young Twilek boy was with them. When the four of them drew near, the boy climbed into Ben's arms.

After the adults greeted each other, Padme motioned to the boy and said,

"Everyone, this is Caleb Syndulla."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Star Wars characters; however, Angeles Dollslayer character is mine.**

"Hi, Caleb," Angeles said to the boy. He had a worried look on his face.

"Is he related to Hera Syndulla?" she thought to herself. 

To Ben and Padme, Angeles asked,

"Why is Caleb here on Endor?" Angeles hoped Caleb was not in the combat zone. Otherwise, it was a violation of the law, and he would have to turned into her custody.

"Ezra Bridger was his guardian," Ben responded. Angeles gave Caleb a sympathetic look. She knew Ezra was Force Sensitive and good friends with Sabine.

"I'm sorry about Ezra and Sabine," she told Caleb. He still had that worried look on his face. Angeles thought maybe he wasn't ready to talk about losing them.

"He scared me terribly," Padme admitted. "He ran off into battle..."

Angeles glanced at Poe. This was not good. She knew the law had been broken. She didn't think Ben or Padme knowingly put Caleb in danger, but she could not allow him to stay with them.

"No!" Caleb suddenly screamed, terrified. "You are not taking me away!" He scrambled out of Ben's arms and ran away.

"Caleb!" Padme shouted as she chased after the boy.

"Why did he run away?" Finn asked in confusion. Poe said nothing. Angeles looked at Ben, who was concerned.

"Don't do it," Ben said to her. "Caleb needs to remain with Padme and I."

"Ben, he was in the combat zone! That is a violation of Galactic law." Angeles reminded him.

"Angeles, he just lost Ezra and Sabine. He lost his mother and stepfather in the Hosnian System attack. If you take him away from us, he will be heartbroken. He cannot suffer any more pain, for his sake and for the galaxy's."

How the galaxy would be affected by one little boy, Angeles did not understand.

"He would be surrounded by people willing to care for him," she argued. "I would personally visit him."

"Don't do this," Ben pleaded with her. She took a deep breath. She could not just blindly ignore the very law she had fought to get passed years earlier.

"Angeles, there are exceptions to every rule," Ben told her. She glanced over at Poe and Finn.

"Why don't you and Ben go and speak to Caleb?" Poe suggested. "That way, the boy won't feel afraid."

Angeles looked at Ben, who nodded his head. They headed to Padme's room.

"Come in," Padme softly said. Ben and Angeles entered the room. She looked around, but did not see the boy.

Angeles was about to ask where Caleb was when Padme said,

"He is where you were after your mother's funeral." Angeles nodded, realizing what she was saying.

She approached a closed closet. After her mother had been buried, Angeles hid in a closet in her bedroom.

"Caleb," she called out his name.

"Go away!" the boy yelled at her.

"I just want to talk..."

"No!" Caleb insisted, tears streaking down his face. "You want to take me away, just like General Hux!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Star Wars characters; however, Angeles Dollslayer character is mine.**

 **Author's note: Caleb Syndulla is related to Hera Syndulla. In my alternate universe, Hera gives birth to Kanan Jarrus' daughter, who is Caleb's mother.**

"Hux?" Angeles gasped in confusion.

"Angeles, I rescued Caleb from getting captured at the beginning of the war," Ben confessed.

Angeles swallowed her throat. It should not have surprised her. Hux did many despicable things. But to kidnap a child? Why would he do such a thing? She had heard rumors about it, but knowing that it was true broke her heart.

"If Ben hadn't rescued him, he would have been forced to join the First Order. He would have separated from his mother," Padre added.

Angeles felt compassion for Caleb. She remembered being fearful of never seeing her father again, when she was imprisoned by the Empire. But how could she ignore the law she had personally campaigned for?

"You're safe now Caleb," Angeles reassured him.

"No," he argued. "You want to take me away. I'm suppose to stay with Ben and Padme. Ezra said so."

"Did Ezra tell you this?" Angeles questioned them.

"He told Caleb before he died on the battlefield," Ben admitted.

Angeles shook her head. A six year old could not determine who the right people were to take care of him! She closed her eyes. This was going to turn ugly.

"Do you believe a child knows right and wrong, Angeles?" Padme asked her.

"Yes," she replied. "But he is too young to know what is best for him."

"Were you too young, when you decided to face the Senate instead of going with your mother?" Ben replied. Angeles' face grew pale.

"You decided to bring an apple, to help feed the Wookiees on Kashyyyk. You should have been with your mother when the ship she was on got destroyed. Instead of obeying your parents, you decided to do the right thing," Padme added.

Angeles had a small smile on her face. She remembered that time, when Leia Organa held her, as she brought Angeles before her father. She remembered the tight embrace he gave her, and the tears of relief flowing down his face.

"Because you made that decision to stay behind, your life was spared. Even at that young age, you knew what was the right thing to do. And so does Caleb."

A military officer came into the room, and asked to speak to Padme. She quietly slipped out.

Angeles looked down. When they were saying was true. But he could she ignore the law?

"Where are you going to settle down?" she asked Ben.

"We need to go to Tatooine, to sell Padme's childhood home," Ben explained. "Then, we want to move to Naboo."

Angeles smiled in delight. If they moved to Naboo, she could keep an eye on Caleb.

"Do you know where in Naboo you want to live?"

"We just want a nice home for Caleb to grow up in."

"Ok. I will make a deal with you. If you promise to move to Naboo and raise Caleb there, I will find you a home to live in."

Ben grinned, extended his hand, and said,

"It's a deal." The two adults shook hands. Suddenly, the closet door opened, and Caleb stepped out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Star Wars characters; however, Angeles Dollslayer character is mine.**

"It's ok, little one," Ben assured Caleb, as the boy approached him. "You are staying with Padme and I."

Caleb threw his arms around Ben's legs, hugging him tightly. Angeles saw the relief in his eyes.

The boy broke the embrace and turned to face Angeles. He smiled at her and said,

"Thank you, Senator Dollslayer."

Tearing up, she replied back,

"You're welcome, Caleb." He ran to her and gave her a big hug. She shed a couple of tears, remembering when her father held her at seven.

It was time for Angeles, Poe and Finn to leave. They said their goodbyes to Ben, Padme and Caleb. They graciously gave ownership of the Ghost to Poe. He asked Finn to fly Angeles' personal ship, so that he could fly the Ghost.

As he flew away from Endor, Poe turned to Angeles and said,

"I thought we were going to take Caleb Syndulla back with us."

She sweetly smiled and said,

"He is with who he needs to be with." Poe was surprised when she said this.

"What about the law?"

"As Ben said earlier, there are exceptions to every rule." She softly sighed, fondly remembering the little girl she once was.


End file.
